Bags



May 25, 1965 r R. o. RAGAN ETAL BAGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 28, 1962 INVENTOR Foster 0. RAGAN/ Rose-RT F. 77ANT BY fikim vrugmm dTORNEY AGS B Robert 0. Ragan, Oak Park, and Robert F. Trant, Chi- This invention relates to an improvement in bags, and deals particularly with a means of holding the bag bottom in squared position after it has been squared up.

Many bags, such as gusseted bags with a single or double bottom fold are formed in flat glued form and, before filling, are usually expanded over a mandrel or otherwise to provide a bag having a square bottom. Unfortunately, this square bag bottom is not retained during and after the filling operation. The center of the bag bottom tends to fold downwardly to form a rounded or wedge shaped bottom, and the weight of the carton contents tends to assist this action. This leads to considerable difliculty. For one thing, the bags do not rest squarely upon asupporting surface, and tend to fall over or tilt.

' It also causes diflic-ulty during the bag sealing operation,

as the bags do not remain at the same elevation. In other words; a bag whose bottom remains substantially it is very desirable that the bags retain their squared form during handling.

We have found that if spots of suitable adhesive are applied in selected areas of the bag bottom, the bags may be caused to retain their square form during the handling operation. The adhesive preferably employed is the type which may be printed or otherwise applied to the paper or other bag forming material and will only stick to similarly coated surfaces. By properly locating the adhesive coated spots, the bags may be folded and formed in the usual mannerand on the usual equipment. However, as the bags are folded into squared relation, one adhesively coated spot on one surface will engage a cooperable spot on another surface to hold the bag in squared form.

Bags of the general type illustrated usually-include a pair of bag sides between which are folded a pair of gusset panels which extend throughout the length of the bag. The bag bottom is formed by merely folding the doubled lower portion of the bag against one of the side walls and adhering the folded flange thereto to form a bottom seam. When a bag of this type is squared up upon a mandrel, the two gusset panels fold outwardly into a common plane, and portions of the lower ends of these panels fold to provide triangular gusset flaps which fold into face contact to form the square bottom. By properly locating spots of adhesive on the gusset panels, in the United States Patent area thereof which is to be folded to form the two triangular gusset flaps, these spots of adhesive may be brought into contact as the bottom is squared to hold the two triangular flaps in face contact. When this is accomplished, the bag bottom remains in its square form.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the I 3,185,384 Patented May 25, 1965 will not adhere these panels together while the bag is in fiat form. However, as soon as the bag is squared up, the adhesively coated area of each gusset panel are brought into contact, hold-ing the bag in squared form.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims:

In the drawings forming a part of the specification;

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the squared-up bag in readiness for filling.

b FIGURE 2 is a bottom perspective view of the squared FIGURE 3 discloses the bag in flat folded condition.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a small section of one end of the bag in fiat form.

FIGURE 5 illustrates diagrammatically the lower end of the bag before the gluing operation.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional View transversely through the bag, the side walls being slightly spaced to disclose the construction.

FIGURE 7 is a bottom plan view of a first modified form of bag,

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of an end of the bag in flat folded condition.

FIGURE 9 is a diagrammatic view of the lower end of the blank from which the ba g is formed.

FIGURE 10 is a bottom plan view of a second modified form of bag showing the construction thereof.

FIGURE 11 is a diagrammatic view of the lower end of the bag in fiat folded form.

FIGURE 12 is a diagrammatic view of the lower end of the bag blank showing the construction illustrated in FIGURE 12. 1

FIGURE 13 is a bottom plan view of a third modified form of bag.

FIGURE 14 is a diagrammatic view of the lower-end of the blank from which the bag of FIGURE 13 is formed.

The bags illustrated in the drawings are the type commercially known as Holweg style bags and are usually formed in a continuous operation from a web of paper or other bag forming material which is glued into tubular form and creased and cut off at the proper lengths to form bags of the desired height. For the purpose of illustration, the lower portion of the bag blank is illustrated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings to indicate the position of the creases or fold lines as they are formed during the folding of the bag into fiat form and in squaring up the bag end.

The creases which are actually produced during the formation of the bag into flat folded form are illustrated by dotted lines. The additional creases which are formed in the paper or other material during the squaring up process are shown in broken lines.

The web used to form the bag A is longitudinally creased along parallel fold lines 10 to provide centrally located side walls 11. Parallel reverse creases 12 provide gusset panels 13 connected to the side edges of the side walls 11. Parallel creases 14 provide second gusset panels 15 which are equal in width to the gusset panels 13. The area between the fold lines 14 and the edges of the web provide guide wall panels 16 which are of a width somewhat greater than one-half the width of the panels 11. In the formation of the bag, as indicated in FIGURE 6 of the drawings, the end edges of the side Wall panels 16 are overlapped as indicated at 17 to provide a rear side wall which is of equal width to the front side wall 11.

After the web has been cut off to the proper length, the folded web is folded along the transverse fold line 19 to form the transverse fold or seam 20 which is adhered in face contact to the rear wall 16 to form a bottom closure. When completed, the lower end of the bag appears as is indicated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings,

and is maintained in this form until it is squared up into the form illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 7..

During the squaring up operation, the gusset panels 13 and 15 are pressed outwardly until they lie in a common plane between the fold lines and 14 which define the edges of the side walls 11 and 16. During this operation, the various wall panels are folded along the line 21 which defines the lower edges of the side walls and gusset panels in the squared-up form of the bag. The portions of the gusset panels between the fold lines 19 and 21 fold along diagonal fold lines 22 and 23 which diverge from the juncture between the intersecting fold lines 12 and 19 to the junctures between the fold line 21 and the fold lines 10 and 14 which define the edges of the side Walls. This operation therefore divides the rectangular area between the fold lines 19 and 21 at the lower end of each gusset panel 13 and into two similar triangular areas. The lower portion of the gusset panels 13 are divided by the diagonal fold line 22 into triangular gusset flaps 24 and 25. In a similar manner, the diagonal fold lines 23 divide the corresponding area at the lower ends of the gusset panels 15 into similar triangular flaps 26 and 27. When the bag has been squared up, the triangular flaps 24 and 26 lie in face contact with the similar gusset flaps and 27 respectively.

Up to this point in the description, the bag which has been described is conventional. In some instances, bags of this type are squared up by drawing the bag upon a mandrel capable of folding the lower portions of the front, rear and side walls inwardly to form a flat bottom. One of the difficulties experienced with bags of this type lies in the fact that they do not always remain in squaredup form and tend to revert toward their original fiat folded form. This is particularly true after the bags have been filled. When the bottoms are not square and flat, the heights of the bags vary as they pass beneath the sealing machine which folds and seals the tops of the bags, creating a variation in the top closure. When the bag bottoms become rounded, the bags do not stack effectively and the bags ordinarily produced are hard to handle, ship or stack.

We have found if adhesive is applied to the triangular superimposed flaps which are formed by the lower portions of the gusset panels, as the bag is squared up to form a substantially fiat bottom, the adhesive will hold the bag in generally flat folded form. By providing the areas of adhesive of the type which will only adhere to other similar areas of adhesive, the triangular flaps will automatically seal together when forced into contact. Once these triangular flaps are sealed together, the bag bottoms remain substantially flat, and the resultant bags are easier to close, handle, and stack.

In some instances, effective results can be obtained by applying adhesive areas to the portion of one gusset flap which is folded to form superimposed triangular flaps.

Preferably, at least one gusset panel of each side wall is provided with the adhesive coated areas, and in some instances adhesive areas are provided on the lower portions of all of the gusset panels where the most effective results are required.

In order to seal the two triangular flaps of any gusset panel in superposed relation, it is necessary to provide areas of adhesive on each of the two triangular flaps, the adhesive areas being symmetrically located with respect to the diagonal fold line connecting the two triangular flaps. In view of the fact that these adhesively coated areas are in the same plane when the bag is collapsed or in its fiat form, and as the adhesive is of the type which will adhere only to a similarly coated area, the gusset flaps will not adhere together in the flat form of the bags. However, when the bag folds along the diagonal fold lines which have been described, the symmetrically coated areas on opposite sides of the diagonal fold lines adhere together and maintain these fiaps in face contact. When the triangular flaps are in face contact, the bottom of the bag is substantially flat.

Where adjacent gusset panels of a bag side wall are to contain adhesive areas, the areas of adhesive on one guesset flap must be offset from the areas on the opposite flap, so that the gusset panels will not adhere together when the bag is collapsed or in its flat form.

FIGURES 3 through 5 or the drawings illustrate one arrangement in which spots of adhesive are printed or otherwise applied on the surfaces of the gusset panels which form the two triangular flaps when the bag is squared up. Shown in FIGURE 5, adhesively coated areas 30 and 31 are provided in the triangular flaps 24 and 25 respectively, these areas 30 and 31 being symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the diagonal fold line 22. These areas 30 and 31 as illustrated relatively close to the juncture between the diagonal fold line 22 and the fold lines 10 and 21. Similar areas 32 and 33 are applied to the triangular flaps 26 and 27 respectively, these areas 32 and 33 being also symmetrically positioned with respect to the diagonal fold line 23. However, the adhesively coated area 32 is near the juncture of the fold lines 14 and 19 while the corresponding area 23 in the flap 27 is located near the juncture between the fold lines 12 and 21. As a result, when the bag is in the flat folded condition illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, the areas 30 and 31 are offset with relation to the adhesive areas 32 and 33. When the bag is squared up, and the gusset flaps 13 and 15 are folded along the diagonal fold line 22 and 23, the areas of adhesive 30 and 31 come in contact as do also the adhesively coated areas 32 and 33.

In the arrangement illustrated in FIGURES 7, 8, and 9 of the drawings, the bag is shown with adhesive coated areas on only two of the gusset panels. In view of the fact that the bag structure shown in these figures is identical to that previously described with the exception of the location of the adhesive areas, the bag and its various fold lines, panels, and flaps have been given the same identifying numerals as the structure illustrated in FIGURES 1-6 of the drawings.

In order to hold the bag in squared-up formation, one of the triangular flaps 24 on one side of the panels 11 and 16 is provided with a strip 36 of pressure-sensitive adhesive which extends generally parallel to the fold line 19 forming the bottom seam of the bag and which may extend from the fold line 10 across the gusset panel 13 to the diagonal fold line 24. The adjoining triangular flap 25 in the gusset panel 13 is provided with an area of pressure sensitive adhesive 37 which extends in spaced parallel relation to the fold line 12 from the diagonal line 22 to the transverse fold line 21. When the flaps 24 and 25 are folded into superimposed face contact, the two areas 36 and 37 will be contiguous and will adhere together.

On the other side wall of the bag on the opposite sides of the panels 11 and 16, a similar adhesive coated area is provided, the area being in the gusset panel 15 rather than the gusset panel 13 in preferred form. The tr iangular flap 26 is provided \with a strip of adhesive 39 which extends parallel to the fold line 19 forming the bottom seam and which may extend from the fold line 14 to the diagonal fold line 23. The adjoining triangular flap 27 is provided with a strip 40 of adhesive of similar area extending parallel to the fold line 12 and extending from the diagonal fold line 23 to the fold line 21. When the bag is squared up, and the gusset panel 15 folds along the diagonal fold line 23, the two adhesively coated areas 39 and 40 will be folded into superposed face contact and will adhere together to maintain the bag in squared up condition.

A slightly ditferent form of adhesive pattern is employed in the bag C illustrated in FIGURES 10, 11 and '12 of the drawings, the bag structure being similar to that previously described and being provided with similar identifying numerals. In the bag C the two triangular flaps 26 and 27 of the gusset panel 15 are provided with adhesive coated areas 41 and 42 which are located in the corners of the triangular flaps which are most remote from the diagonal line and which are located in equally spaced relation to the diagonal fold line 23 so that when the gusset flaps are folded into surface contact the areas 41 and 42 will fold into face contact. The triangular flaps 24 and 25 of the gusset panel 13 are provided with-triangular areas 43 and 44 of pressure-sensitive adhesive which are formed by providing a generally rectangular area which intersects the diagonal fold line 22 at the juncture between the fold line and the fold line 21. As a result of this arrangement, when the bag is in flat condition as indicated in FIGURE 11, the coated areas 43 and 44 of the panel 13 will be offset from the areas 41 and 42 of the panel 15. However, when the bag is squared up so that the gusset panels will fold along the diagonal fold lines 22 and 23, the adhesive areas 41 and 42 of the panel will adhere together as will the areas 43 and 44 of the gusset panel 13.

The bag D has still another pattern of adhesive. gusset flap 13 is provided with a rectangular area 45 of pressure sensitive adhesive which intersects the diagonal fold line 22 and which is formed of two triangular areas 46 and 47 in the two triangular flaps 24 and 25. The gusset panel 15 is provided with an angularly shaped area of adhesive including a strip 49 extending along the fold line 19 forming the bottom seal and which extends from the fold line 14 to the diagonal fold line 23, and the gusset flap 27 is provided with a line 50 of adhesive which extends from the fold lne 21 to the diagonal fold line 23. The two areas are arranged so that when the bag is in flat folded condition, the square area 45 in the gusset panel 13 will be offset from the angular adhesive area on the gusset panel 15. However, when the bag is squared up, the areas 46 and 47 in the triangular flaps 24 and will adhere together as will the strips of adhesive 49 and 50 in the triangular panel 26 and 27 respectively.

It will be noted that in each of the structures described, the bag is formed with adhesive coated areas which will not come in surface contact when the bag is in flat folded form, and therefore which will not cause adherence together. However, the areas are so located that when the bag is squared up and folded into open position, the adhesive will hold the bags squared up and will maintain the bag in this condition indefinitely.

In accordance with the patent statutes, we have described the principles of construction and operation of our improvement in bags, and while we have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, we desire to have it Understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

l. A bag including a pleated tubular body having a front wall, a rear wall, and pleated side walls connecting the front and rear walls each including a pair of gusset panels, a transverse seam connecting an end of said pleated walls in face contact with an end of said front andrear walls to form a bottom closure folded against, and secured to, one of the front and rear walls, the lower portions of said gusset panels being foldable to form two superposed triangular flaps having their exterior surface in face contact when said bag is squared up, areas of pressure sensitive adhesive on said exterior surface of each of said triangular flaps of at least one pleated side Wall, said adhesive areas being of the type capable of adhering only to a similar adhesive coated area, the adhesive areas of one gusset panel being offset from the adhesive areas of the adjoining gusset panel when the bag is fiat and the exterior surfaces of said gusset panel are in face contact, the adhesive area of one tri- The angular flap of each said gusset panel having adhesive .front and rear walls, the lower portions of said gusset panels being foldable to provide superposed triangular flaps the outer surfaces of which are in face contact when said bag is squared up, areas of adhesive provided on said exterior surface of both triangular flaps of at least one of said gusset panels, the adhesive areas being of the type capable of adhering only to a similar adhesive coated area, the adhesive areas of each gusset panel having such adhesive areas being offset from any adhesive areas of the adjoining gusset panel when the bag is flat and the exterior surface of said adjoining gusset panels are in face contact, the adhesive area of one triangular flap of each gusset panel having such coated areas being in contact with the adhesive areas of the other triangular flap of p the same gusset panel when said triangular flaps are folded into superposed face contact.

3. A bag including a pleated tubular body having a front wall, a rear Wall, and pleated side walls connecting the side edges of the front and rear walls each including a pair of similar gusset panels, a transverse seam connecting said front and rear walls to provide a bottom closure folded against, and secured to, one of the front and rear walls, the lower portions of said gusset panels being foldable to provide superposed triangular flaps the exterior surfaces of which are in face contact when said bag is squared up, areas of adhesive provided on both said triangular flaps of each of said gusset panels of at least one said pleated side wall, the adhesive areas being of the type capable of adhering only to a similar adhesive area, the adhesive areas of one gusset panel being offset from the adhesive areas of the adjoining gusset panel when the bag is flat and the exterior surfaces of said adjoining gusset panels are in face contact, the adhesive area of one triangular flap of each gusset panel being engagea- Ible with the adhesive area of the other triangular flap of each gusset panel when said triangular flaps of said gusset panels are folded into superposed face contact.

4. The construction of claim 3 and in which both pleated side walls are provided with adhesive areas.

5. A bag including a pleated tubular body including front and rear walls and pleated side Walls connecting the side edges of the front and rear Walls, said side walls each including a pair of similar connected gusset panels which have their exterior surfaces in face contact in collapsed condition of the bag, a transverse seam forming a bottom closure folded against, and secured to, one of the front and rear walls, the lower ends of the front and rear walls being foldable into a substantially common plane at right angles to said front and rear walls when said bag is squared up and the upper portions of said gusset panels of each side wall being foldable into a substantially common plane, the lower portions of the gusset panels being foldable along diagonal fold lines to provide a pair of similar superposed triangular flaps one of each pair of which is in face contact with the lower ends of the front or rear wall to which it is hinged, at least one side wall having adhesive areas on the exterior surfaces thereof in the portions thereof forming said triangular flaps, the adhesive being of the type which will adhere only to a similar adhesive coated area, the adhesive areas of each gusset panel being arranged similarly on opposite sides of the diagonal lines of fold so as to bring the exterior surfaces of the triangular flaps of each gusset panel into contact when said triangular flaps are folded into superposed relation, the adhesive area of one gusset panel being offset from the adhesive area of the adjoining gusset panel when said gusset panels are in face contact.

6. The structure of claim 5 and in which both pleated side walls are provided with adhesive coated areas as described.

7. A bag including a pleated tubular body including front and rear walls and pleated side walls connecting the side edges of the front and rear wall, said side walls each including a pair of similar connected gusset panels which have their exterior surfaces in face contact in collapsed condition of the bag, a transverse seam forming a bottom closure folded against, and secured to, one of the front and rear walls, the lower ends of the front and rear walls being foldable into a substantially common plane at right angles to said front and rear walls when said bag is squared up and the upper portions of said gusset panels of each side wall being foldable into a substantially common plane, the lower portions of the gusset panels being foldable along diagonal fold lines to provide a pair of similar superposed triangular flaps one of each pair of which is in face contact with the lower ends of the front or rear wall to which it is hinged, at least one said gusset panel having an adhesive area on the exterior surface thereof in the portion thereof forming said triangular flaps, the adhesive areas being arranged on opposite sides of said diagonal fold line and symmetrically spaced with respect thereto so that the por- 8 tion of the adhesive area on each of said triangular flaps will fold into contact with the adhesive area of the other flap when said triangular flaps are folded to bring their exterior surfaces into face contact.

8 The structure of claim 1 and in which the adhesive areas are on a gusset panel forming a part of each pleated side wall.

9. The structure of claim 7 and in which said adhesive area extends across said diagonal fold line.

10. The structure of claim 7 and in which said adhesive area comprises two spaced adhesive area portions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,353,605 7/44 Waters 22958 2,704,183 3/55 Stern 22948 FOREIGN PATENTS 660,889 11/51 Great Britain. 15 4,744 1/ 54 Australia. 824,073 11/59 Great Britain. 636,216 2/ 62 Canada.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

r EARLE J. DRUMMOND, Examiner. 

1. A BAG INCLUDING A PLEATED TUBULAR BODY HAVING A FRONT WALL, A REAR WALL, AND PLEATED SIDE WALLS CONNECTING THE FRONT AND REAR WALLS EACH INCLUDING A PAIR OF GUSSET PANELS, A TRANSVERSE SEAM CONNECTING AN END OF SAID PLEATED WALLS IN FACE CONTACT WITH AN END OF SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS TO FORM A BOTTOM CLOSURE FOLDED AGAINST, AND SECURED TO, ONE OF THE FRONT AND REAR WALLS, THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID GUSSET PANELS BEING FOLDABLE TO FORM TWO SUPERPOSED TRIANGULAR FLAPS HAVING THEIR EXTERIOR SURFACE IN FACE CONTACT WHEN SAID BAG IS SQUARED UP, AREAS OF PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE ON SAID EXTERIOR SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID TRIANGULAR FLAPS OF AT LEAST ONE PLEATED SIDE WALL, SAID ADHESIVE AREAS BEING OF THE TYPE CAPABLE OF ADHERING ONLY TO A SIMILAR ADHESIVE COATED AREA, THE ADHESIVE AREAS OF ONE GUSSET PANEL BEING OFFSET FROM THE ADHESIVE AREAS OF THE ADJOINING GUSSET PANEL WHEN THE BAG IS FLAT AND THE EXTERIOR SURFACES OF SAID GUSSET PANELS ARE IN FACE CONTACT, THE ADHESIVE AREA OF ONE TRIANGULARLY FLAP OF EACH SAID GUSSET PANEL HAVING ADHESIVE COATED AREAS BEING IN CONTACT WITH THE ADHESIVE AREAS OF THE OTHER TRIANGULAR FLAP OF THE SAME GUSSET PANEL WHEN SAID TRIANGULAR FLAPS ARE FOLDED INTO SUPERPOSED FACE CONTACT. 